After the Western Conference two teams finished, at the same time, the Eastern Conference two teams also started.
The first is the showdown between the Pacers, who are ranked first in the Eastern Conference, and the Hawks, who are ranked eighth.
The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals last season and played 7 games against the Big Three Heat. Although they regrettably lost in the end, they also gained confidence. This season they recruited new players and made all preparations, and finally won the Eastern Conference as they wished.
First place.
The Eagles lost a major player, Josh Smith, during the offseason, which was a very big blow to them.
After last season, Smith did not renew his contract with the Hawks during the offseason. After the Pistons offered a four-year, $54 million contract, Smith immediately signed with the Pistons.
Smith is a good player. He can play the 3rd position or the 4th position. He can't shoot in the 3rd position. If he plays the 4th position, his height is a bit different.
Of course, this is on the offensive end, and Josh Smith is still very good on the defensive end.
Josh Smith's departure still has a great impact on the Eagles' defense.
Unfortunately, this season Al Horford, the Hawks' only pillar inside, was injured again and only played 29 games throughout the season.
The Eagles already had no one inside, and suddenly lost two key players. You can imagine how much headache the Eagles have.
The final result was that the Hawks ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference, barely squeezing into the playoffs.
Facing such an opponent, the Pacers would certainly not be polite. They did not take their opponent seriously at all.
But the result was very unexpected.
The two teams fought hard to separate each other. In the first quarter, the Eagles led by 6 points at 28:22. In the second quarter, the Pacers immediately called back and scored 28:22, and the two teams were tied at halftime.
Although it was only a tie, the Eagles' tenacity was still surprising. They did not give up in the face of the powerful Pacers.
The score difference was evened out in a single quarter, and the Pacers didn't take the Hawks seriously anymore, which also caused them to suffer a big loss.
In the third quarter, the Hawks' offensive was overwhelming and their defense was airtight. They beat the Pacers 30:16, and the game immediately lost much suspense.
In the last quarter, the Pacers realized their shame and courageously fought hard to catch up, but the score difference was too big and they finally lost the game 93:101.
In terms of statistics, whether it is three-pointers, field goal percentage, or free throws, the Eagles have the upper hand.
Especially on free throws, the Pacers at home made 16 of 23 free throws, while the Hawks on the road made 24 of 29 free throws. In this alone, they scored 8 points more than the Pacers.
In the final score, the Hawks only scored 8 points more than the Pacers.
It has to be said that Eagles coach Budenhold still has two skills. He still has some skills in mobilizing players' enthusiasm and fully developing the potential of each player.
The eighth team upset the first team, and similarly, the fifth-ranked Wizards also had a close win against the Bulls on the road.
In fact, although the Bulls are ranked fourth, in front of the Wizards, due to Rose's injury and Luol Deng being traded away, the Bulls can only get this ranking through hard work.
On the contrary, John Wall of the Wizards returned this season, and several new players came to the team, so after a period of adjustment, the record ranked behind the Bulls.
Of course, the tough coach Thibodeau will not make the same mistake as the Pacers just because they are ranked high. They showed their special skills from the beginning and defended desperately. They fell behind by two points in the first quarter and successfully took the lead in the second quarter.
Leading by 6 points after the battle.
Just like the regular season, although the Bulls led at halftime, they had tried their best and put in all their energy.
Sure enough, at the beginning of the second half, the Wizards also worked hard on the defensive end and recovered the point difference by three points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulls didn't have much energy anymore, but the Wizards had enough energy. They officially launched a charge and beat the Bulls 30:18 in a single quarter!
In the end, the Wizards narrowly won a victory on the road with a score of 102:93.
After the whole game, six players from the Wizards scored in double figures, while seven players from the Bulls scored more points.
It can be said that without the superstar, the Bulls have maximized their teamwork, but they still cannot escape the fate of losing.
There is no way, the competition in the playoffs is the hard power of the team, and the most complete expression of hard power is the strength and number of the stars.
In terms of hard power, the Bulls are obviously far behind the Wizards.
On the second day, other first-round matches continued.
The first game is between the Spurs and the Mavericks.
The two teams are old enemies and know each other very well.
The head coaches of both teams are also well-known figures. Carlisle of the Mavericks is very good, and Popovich of the Spurs is even more powerful.
The Spurs' veterans have performed very well this season. Their teamwork is smooth and they also do a very good job on the defensive end. Their record is amazing and they are only behind the Warriors.
You know, the record achieved by this group of Spurs veterans is quite astonishing. At the beginning of the season, no expert was optimistic about them.
The Mavericks have been in dire straits since they lost Tyson Chandler. The team is very annoyed. This season, they are only ranked seventh in the Western Conference, barely making it into the playoffs.
Despite this, the Mavericks are still a force that cannot be ignored, because they have Nowitzki, and even more because they have Carlisle.
The Spurs, who cooperated tacitly in the first quarter, gave the Mavericks a showdown, playing 21:12 in a single quarter and leading by 9 points.
However, the Mavericks stabilized their position in the second quarter and immediately defeated the Spurs 32:12, leading by one point at halftime.
In the third quarter, under the leadership of Duncan and Ginobili, the Spurs stabilized their position and finally tied the score.
In the fourth quarter, Duncan still performed well. Under his leadership, the Spurs gradually took control of the situation and finally narrowly defeated the Mavericks 90:85.
After the game, a total of 5 players from the Mavericks scored in double figures, but the highest was Devin Harris's 19 points. The remaining Nowitzki, Ellis and Brenden White all scored 11 points, and Carter only scored 11 points.
Just 10 points.
For the Spurs, Duncan scored a game-high 27 points, Parker also scored 21 points, Ginobili also scored 17 points on the bench, and Leonard also performed well, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Although they lost, the Mavericks' defensive strategy was no problem. They focused their defense on the Spurs' outside shooters throughout the game. In the end, they defended the Spurs' three-pointers to 3 of 17, with a shooting percentage of only 17.6%.
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Carlisle knew in his heart that no matter how the Spurs cooperated, their most lethal force was still the outside. As long as they could defend the Spurs' three-pointers, they would have hope of winning.
Of course, it is risky for the Mavericks to do this. In order to defend the outside, the Mavericks must give the Spurs inside opportunities, which is why Duncan performed so well.
But Carlisle understood that with Duncan, the Spurs might win one or two games, but they would never win the entire series!
